-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Author R.L. Stine has returned to the evil street that made him famous in the 1990s , and fans are looking forward to the new ways he 'll terrorize Shadyside High School teenagers on `` Fear Street . ''

`` Party Games , '' out on September 30 , is the first of six new `` Fear Street '' books that Stine is releasing . The premise : When Shadyside High School senior Brendan Fear has a birthday party at his parent 's summer house on Fear Island , things go from bad to worse .

Stine , 70 , is the author of more than 300 novels for children and teens , including the much-loved `` Goosebumps '' and `` Fear Street '' series . The latter was a major hit , selling 80 million copies and building a fan base that for years has been asking him to revive the spooky series .

`` The whole thing happened because of Twitter , '' Stine said . `` It 's a great way to keep in touch with my original readers , and ` Fear Street ' was mentioned more than anything else . That 's what they read when they were kids . And I suppose we 're all nostalgic for what we read back then . ''

R.L. Stine aims to give adults ` Goosebumps '

The new `` Fear Street '' arrives at a time many consider to be a renaissance of young adult horror . It disappeared as a dominant genre in the early 2000s with the rise of fantasy novels and series such as `` Harry Potter '' and `` Eragon . '' Popular shows such as `` The Walking Dead '' and `` American Horror Story '' helped revive interest in horror literature , said Catherine Scully , young adult editor for the Horror Writers Association .

Like today 's TV shows , today 's teen horror novels are darker and scarier than the `` Fear Street '' of the 1990s , reflecting the way popular culture has changed . Along with Stine , a new class of authors is attempting to redefine young adult horror for the `` Saw '' generation , which can easily find graphic depictions of violence on TV and in movies and video games . By weaving in diverse elements -- such as historic gothic and psychological thrillers -- and making both protagonists and villains more three-dimensional , this new wave of authors is hoping to appeal to readers looking for something more than gore and torture porn .

Unlike horror depicted on television and the big screen , in horror literature for young adults , subtlety is key , rather than shock value , author and horror expert Jonathan Maberry said .

`` Modern teen horror goes more inside the personal experience rather than the body count , '' he said . `` The more subtle you go and leave for the reader to interpret , they can participate and it 's even scarier . ''

A brief history of young adult literature

Where it began , where it 's going .

The definition of teen horror can be difficult to pinpoint , especially as new authors broaden the range of topics contained within the genre . In the broadest sense , it embodies the disturbing , imaginative manifestations of fear and dread , life-or-death situations , thrilling surprises and a loss of control , authors and literary observers say .

Horror is defined by what scares you , `` and that 's very personal and different for each person , '' said Scully , who reviews young adult horror in HWA 's ` Scary Out There ' blog .

Horror novels by Stine , Christopher Pike and Lois Duncan emerged as a salve to the 1970s and 1980s ' `` problem novels '' that dealt with divorce , drugs and alcohol abuse . In the early 2000s , authors began began weaving elements of horror into fantasy , such as the `` Harry Potter '' series . Horror was the umbrella genre that gave birth to popular subgenres such as paranormal and dystopian , Scully said .

As the genre evolved , it began attracting more readers with its diversity of subgenres and topics . Themes of empowerment and hope emerged , showcasing teens defeating evil in the face of their greatest fears -- and surviving to the end of the book , Scully said .

Readers sound off : Books that changed YOUR lives

`` I look at YA horror as being the swords and shields we give our teens to fight with these problems that we have limited ways of coping with , '' Scully said . `` Teen horror stories are actually empowering them against these horrific things in their life . To have their own stories and their own ways of fighting back , I think we give them a voice . ''

Cat Winters , Kendare Blake , April Genevieve Tucholke and Kami Garcia are some of the authors folding in suspense and elements of psychological terror into horror novels .

`` Horror combines what readers love by merging the scary creatures from ` Twilight ' and gritty , horrifying elements of dystopian -LRB- literature -RRB- , '' gothic horror author Winters said . `` Horror can be a genre of its own but finds its way into almost every other genre . ''

Kenneth Oppel , author of a young Victor Frankenstein series , believes that part of the appeal of modern young adult horror is the shift away from crazed serial killers to demons within ourselves . Case in point : zombies , monsters of our own creation .

Zombies connect well with the teen experience , standing as a metaphor for misunderstanding , loss or massive life changes and how characters handle the consequences , Maberry said .

Isaac Marion , author of `` Warm Bodies , '' which was adapted for the big screen in February 2013 , did n't write his book for young adults . But they connected with the message : figuring out who you are and who you want to be , even if you 're a zombie , he said . His book is told from the perspective of a zombie who feels lost until he meets -LRB- and does n't want to eat -RRB- a living person .

`` It always seemed strange to me that there was no curiosity about what 's going on behind the scenes of this creature , '' Marion said .

Young adult books from page to screen

New twists to old favorites

For years , fans have been asking Stine to revive `` Fear Street '' in online fan forums and over social media .

But publishers were n't interested , claiming the idea he left behind in 1995 was outdated in the new world of young adult fiction dominated by dystopian worlds and paranormal events . Stine took to Twitter , thanking his fans for their interest while letting them know that the idea was discouraged .

Then , associate editor Kat Brzozowski of Thomas Dunne Books , a division of St. Martin 's Press , reached out to him .

The `` Fear Street '' series married supernatural horror with real-life horror of teenagers ' deepest fears and insecurities . That 's why they were so popular with young readers , Brzozowski said , including herself . She thought it was fitting that the grandfather of teen horror revisit his most popular series for old fans and a new generation .

Young adult books that changed our lives

While the Stine `` recipe '' remains the same -- following one character 's perspective closely -- Stine says the new `` Fear Street '' books will be longer , more adult and more violent , reflecting how young adult fiction has changed since the 1990s .

`` For me , it 's thinking of new scares , plot twists and cliffhanger chapter endings I have n't done before , moving into the modern world , '' Stine said . `` It will be a roller coaster ride of fearful surprises . ''

Follow Ashley Strickland on Twitter

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R.L. Stine is reviving his most popular series , `` Fear Street ''

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Stine joins other authors in reviving horror books for teens

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TV shows like `` The Walking Dead '' helped renew interest in horror literature

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Author Jonathan Maberry : `` Modern teen horror goes more inside the personal experience ''